Carpet and techniques for making and recycling same

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a carpet, a process for manufacturing a carpet and a method for recycling a carpet. The carpet of the present disclosure includes a primary backing having tufts of synthetic carpet fibers protruding from a top surface and, optionally, a secondary backing, with an extruded sheet of an isotactic polyolefin polymer between and integrally fused to a bottom surface of the primary backing and an upper surface of the secondary backing. The process for manufacturing the recyclable carpet includes contacting the extruded sheet with the primary backing and, optionally, the secondary backing, at a temperature sufficiently high to integrally fuse the extruded sheet to the respective backing. The method for recycling synthetic carpet of the type described includes manufacturing the carpet, collecting portions of the carpet, and melting the collected portions to make a feedstock.

Description

1. Field of the DisclosureThe present invention relates to carpets and methods for making and recycling carpets. More specifically, the carpet may be tufted and possess one or more backing layers.2. Description of the Prior ArtTufted carpets are composite structures in which the face fiber forming the pile, i.e., the surface of the carpet, is needled through a primary backing and the base of each tuft extends through the primary backing and is exposed on the bottom surface of the primary backing.The basic manufacturing approach to the commercial production of tufted carpeting is to start with a woven scrim or primary carpet backing and to feed this into a tufting machine or a loom. The carpet face fiber is needled through and embedded in the primary carpet backing thus forming a tufted base or griege goods.Griege goods are typically backed with an adhesive coating in order to secure the face fiber to the primary backing. Low cost carpet often receives only a latex adhesive coating a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The use of such fillers in the extrusion layer may range from about 0.1% to as high as about 50%. At the high levels, an exceedingly stiff board like material may be made that may be used, e.g., as a trunk liner, molded floor mat or a door panel in an automobile. Since addition of a filler significantly alters the performance and processibility of the polymer, filled systems may be designed to satisfy a particular product need with minimum effect on other performance aspects.

Optionally, blends of polyolefins and thermoplastic elastomers may be used to make the extruded sheet or coextruded layer. The thermoplastic elastomers (TPE's) are a diverse family of rubber-like materials that, unlike vulcanized rubbers, may be processed and recycled as thermoplastics. However, the TPE's are not merely substitutes for thermosetting polymers, they may also replace or improve their properties when blended with them. There ...

Problems solved by technology

Higher cost carpet often receives both a secondary backing and a latex adhesive coating.

This carpet-making method has disadvantages in that it requires a drying step and thus an oven to dry the latex polymer binder.

The drying step increases the cost of the carpet and limits production speed.

Furthermore, it has recently been reported that latex adhesive compositions generate gases that may be the cause of headaches, watery eyes, breathing difficulties and nausea, especially when used in tightly sealed buildings.

In addition, overheating of the carpet may occur during drying of the latex which in turn may affect the shade of the carpet.

Furthermore, hot-melt adhesives tend to adhere to the backing surfaces and/or tuft stitches.

Otherwise, the backing and face yarns may suffer other damage due to heating.

Atactic polypropylene is particularly suitable as a hot-melt composition due to its adhesive nature whereas isotactic polypropylene is not particularly suitable as a hot-melt composition due to its lack of adhesive properties.

While the h...

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